Southern Nash Roundup: Ladybirds blank Nash Central in final March game

ROCKY MOUNT — With a shutdown of all sports imminent due to the threat of an outbreak of the coronavirus, varsity girls soccer teams from Nash Central and Southern Nash moved their scheduled game Monday to Friday on the Lady Bulldogs’ pitch.

Southern Nash, which scored two goals in each half, also got a goal from senior midfielder Brisa Sevilla while freshman forward Amber Patterson and sophomore Layla Austin each had an assist.

Sevilla and sophomore back Valerie Velez anchored the defensive effort in front of junior goalkeeper Kathryn Robinson as the Ladybirds allowed just four shots by Nash Central.

Ewers no-hits Nash Central for unbeaten Ladybirds

ROCKY MOUNT — If Southern Nash doesn’t play another softball game this season, the Ladybirds will at least have an unbeaten year after an 11-0 win in six innings Friday at Nash Central.

The nonconference victory, shortened via the mercy rule, was the sixth for the undefeated Ladybirds of the 3-A Big East Conference. Senior pitcher Carrigan Ewers fired a no-hitter, striking out 17 and hitting one batter, which was the 2-A Eastern Plains Conference Lady Bulldogs’ only base runner.

Kiersten Cooper was 3 for 4 to lead Southern Nash at the plate while Alexa Daniel went 2 for 3 with a walk.

The Ladybirds, like all the other teams in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association, will not play again until at least April 6 due to concerns over the coronavirus.

Doubles sweep keys Southern Nash, 6-3

ROCKY MOUNT — A sweep of the doubles propelled the Southern Nash High boys tennis team to a 6-3 3-A Big East Conference triumph against host Northern Nash on Thursday.

Iris Radilla facilitated the offense on the way to four assists, while Kaylin Younes added another.

Ladybirds thump Lady Cougars, 11-0

PINETOPS — Behind a lights-out performance from Kierstin Cooper in the pitching circle and the leadership of Taylor Bailey at the plate, the visiting Southern Nash softball team shut out SouthWest Edgecombe, 11-0, on March 11.

Cooper went the distance, allowing just two hits, four walks and striking out 11 batters for Southern Nash’s fifth win without a loss to start the season. Bailey compiled three RBIs at the plate.

The visiting 3-A Big East Conference Ladybirds scored five runs on the 2-A Eastern Plains Conference Cougars (1-2) in the first two innings.

After a brief break from scoring in the third, Southern Nash piled on six more runs in the final two innings to end the game early by mercy rule.

SouthWest deals Firebirds 5-4 loss

PINETOPS — The visiting Southern Nash High varsity baseball team managed one comeback, but a second rally fell short and SouthWest Edgecombe emerged with a 5-4 nonconference win March 11.

The second one-run defeat to the Cougars of the 2-A Eastern Plains Conference left Southern Nash of the 3-A Big East Conference with a 2-3 record.

Trailing 2-0, Southern Nash rallied to a 3-2 lead in the fifth inning. However, on the strength of back-to-back doubles, SouthWest claimed the upper hand by a 5-3 count in the bottom half of the fifth.

Down 5-3, the Firebirds threatened by loading the bases with one out in the seventh, but pushed across just one run on Luke Watson’s sacrifice fly.

A.J. Jones tripled and drove in a run for Southern Nash, while Isaiah Bland doubled. Dylan Alford had an RBI.

The Firebirds’ Luke Coble was the losing pitcher in relief of starter Matthew Horrigan. Tanner Baker worked the final inning, allowing no hits and posting a strikeout.

Fike tops conference match; Firebirds finish 5th

LOUISBURG — The Fike boys golf team topped the second 3-A Big East Conference match hosted by Southern Nash at The River Golf and Country Club in Louisburg on March 11.

As a team, the Golden Demons compiled 339 points to beat out the rest of the field. Hunt finished in a distant second place (366 points), followed by Northern Nash (375), Franklinton (376), Southern Nash (381) and Rocky Mount (491).

Jake Herring was the top Golden Demon golfer with a 71, followed by Warren Matthews with an 86. Ryan Richardson filed in a 90, while Jeno Cosette finished with 92 strokes, Connor Jinks finished with 96 and Nate Vaughan wrapped up with 105.

For Southern Nash, freshman Ian Price led the team with a score of 91, garnering his first top 10 individual finish on the season. Sophomore Levy Brantley followed closely behind with a 92, which also placed him in the top 10 on the day.

Jonathan Daniels was the third golfer for the Firebirds with 96 strokes, followed by Dontavius Kingsberry-Evans (102), Carson Winstead (104) and Jeremy Joyner (116).

Mizzelle’s no-hitter caps Firebirds sweep

Junior Trey Mizzelle hurled a five-inning no-hitter as the host Southern Nash High varsity baseball team prevailed 4-0 in the second game of a doubleheader to complete a sweep of Smithfield-Selma.

The Firebirds of the 3-A Big East Conference seized the opener 7-1 behind the two-hit pitching of freshman right-hander Landen Baker.

Winless in two starts to begin the season, Southern Nash not only dented the win column once, but twice. Smithfield-Selma of the 3-A Greater Neuse River Conference dropped to 0-4.

Mizzelle yielded two walks and struck out five in tossing his no-no.

Southern Nash managed but four hits but staked Mizzelle to a run in each of the last four innings.

Jackson Thorton batted 2 for 2 with an RBI. Isaiah Bland went 1 for 2 with a run batted in, and Baker finished 1 for 1.

In game 1 , Southern Nash plated three runs in each of the second and fourth innings.

Baker, a freshman right-hander, tossed a five-inning complete game in his debut. Baker permitted but two hits and an unearned run. He issued no walks and struck out four.

Southern Nash owned a 4-1 lead when Bland slammed a bases-loaded triple in the fourth.

ROCKY MOUNT —Led by Jalen McCalston and Jadiza Jimenez, the Southern Nash High track and field team came away with nine individual victories during a six-team meet March 9 on the campus of Nash Central.

Jimenez won the girls 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs and finished first in the high jump while McCalston was a double winner for the 3-A Big East Conference Firebirds in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles. The Firebirds’ 4x800 team crossed the line in first place.

Southern Nash swept the pole vault with Taylor Gardner winning the girls event and Hunter Thorne taking first in the boys. Shamir Small outlasted the field in the boys 1,600 run.

Second-place efforts went to Devonte Edmundson in the boys discus and Small in the 800-meter run. Xavien Smith was runner-up in the boys 100.

Rayna Bailey was second in the girls shot put and the 4x800 relay of Mariah Poland, Brooke Lucas, Dorothy Blankshain and Jimenez placed second.